# Wisconsin — How long before a car left on your property or towed from it can legally be sold — by US state

For Wisconsin, time to count as abandoned on private property is more than 48 hours in cities of the 1st class and, in other cities, villages and towns, a period set by the governing body thereof; statutory citation is 342.40, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.

- **State:** Wisconsin _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Time to count as abandoned on private property:** more than 48 hours in cities of the 1st class and, in other cities, villages and towns, a period set by the governing body thereof _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statutory citation:** 342.40 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> 342.40 Vehicle abandonment prohibited; removal; disposal. <https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/342.40(1c)> 342.40(1c) (1c) In this section, “owner” includes the lessee of a vehicle if the vehicle is registered, or required to be registered, by the lessee under ch. <https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/ch.%20341> 341 . <https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/342.40(1m)> 342.40(1m) (1m) No person shall leave unattended any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or mobile home on any public highway or private or public property, for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned. Except as otherwise provided in this section, whenever any vehicle has been left unattended without the permission of the property owner for more than 48 hours in cities of the 1st class and, in other cities, villages and towns, a period set by the governing body thereof, the vehicle is deemed abandoned and constitutes a public nuisance. A motor vehicle shall not be considered an abandoned motor vehicle when it is out of ordinary public view, or when designated as not abandoned by a duly authorized municipal or county official pursuant to municipal or county ordinance.

## Source

- https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/342.40

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [How long before a car left on your property or towed from it can legally be sold — by US state](https://referencesource.org/abandoned-vehicle-private-property-timelines-by-state/).